Shannen Doherty Honors Late Co-star Luke Perry On 3rd Death Anniversary

It has been three years since Shannen Doherty lost her friend and "Beverly Hills, 90210" co-star Luke Perry to a sudden stroke.

Perry passed away in hospitalization on the 4th of March, 2019, at 52, and remains missed by his fans and loved ones.

Doherty still remembers the late TV personality and expressed how much she misses him in a recent social media post.

On Friday, March 4, Doherty took to her Instagram Story with a heartwarming tribute to Luke, according to PEOPLE. She uploaded a monochrome picture of them showing a happy time in their lives.

The "Charmed" actress's late friend hugged her tightly, and she rested her palm on the back of his head while they gazed into each other's eyes with love. 

According to the outlet, the "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" actor suffered a stroke on February 27. Paramedics arrived at his residence in Sherman Oaks, California, and took him to a hospital.

A source told the publication that Perry unfortunately never regained consciousness. He was eventually pronounced dead following a five-day hospitality stay under close observation.

Upon hearing the news of her friend's passing, Doherty expressed how negatively his loss affected her and how much he impacted her life. In her words:

"I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind."

The "Heathers" actress called Perry an intelligent, quiet, humble, and complex man who possessed a golden heart and unwavering love and integrity. He also supported her during her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 and remission in 2017.

Doherty recalled that Perry reached out to her during her cancer journey, and they resumed their friendship from where they left things. She noted that though they were "older and wiser," their connection remained unbroken. 

The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress admitted that starring in the series with her late friend built a unique relationship between them, and she continues to miss him always. In her words:

"There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and, of course, life in general. I will miss him every day. Every minute. Every second."

The friends starred in the Fox series in 1990, the sitcom became a fan favorite and ran for ten years. Doherty claimed in 2019 that the opportunity to honor Perry influenced her decision to star on the "Beverly Hills, 90210" reboot.

While at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, the "Mallrats" actress confessed she had no interest in starring on the show's revival until the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" actor died. She explained:

"When Luke passed away, things drastically changed for me, and I felt like it was a great opportunity to honor him. And I'm really glad I made that decision because now I get to sit up here with a lot of people that I respect and love."

Doherty showed that she has a will of steel while giving the public a health update on her battle with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021.

The Blast disclosed last October that while appearing on "Good Morning America," the 50-year-old informed fans about her fight with the deathly condition, noting that she was not going to give up. 

Doherty shed light on why she will not be curating a bucket list of things to do while she was alive and instead take things as they come, saying:

"I never want to operate [like I’m dying]. I just want to operate as I don’t have things to check off because I’m going to keep fighting to stay alive."

Doherty underwent a single mastectomy in May 2016 and noted she is "living life," spending quality time with friends and family, as well as working while battling the disease. She said:

"A lot of people who get diagnosed with Stage 4, they sort of get written off. It’s assumed that they cannot work or they can’t work at their full capacity, and that is not true."